Speaking to Russian state TV, President Vladimir Putin said the “choice” made by Crimea to become independent should be respected by the west.

And when asked whether he thought war with Ukraine would occur, he said: “I think that such an apocalyptic scenario is unlikely and I hope this will never happen.”

Commenting on Crimea, which Russia annexed nearly one year ago, Putin added: “People who live in Crimea made their choice. It should be treated respectfully, and Russia cannot treat it in any other way.

“And I hope that our partners abroad, close and far away, will also eventually treat it the same way, because only the opinion of the people themselves can be the highest criteria of truth in this case.”

Ukraine claims ‘nonsense’

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko recently accused a top aide to the Kremlin of being behind the sniper killings of 100 Ukrainian protesters on the streets of Kiev during the uprising a year ago.

Putin said claims by the Ukrainian government of Russian involvement in the killings on Independence Square were “complete nonsense”.

“Sometimes I am simply amazed at the public statements of the Ukrainian government, for instance, that the members of our administration took part in the tragic events on the Maidan a year ago,” he said.

“It is absolute, complete nonsense, so far from reality that one is amazed where it comes from.”

“The Minsk agreements remained not only the document that had been worked out by the four members of this Minsk process, I mean Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.

“They [the agreements] have been fixed in the resolution of the United Nations Security Council and took the form of an international statute, supported practically by the whole of international society.

“I really hope this will be fulfilled. And if it is fulfilled, then this is the right path towards normalisation of the situation in this area of the country,” he added.

Kiev fears recent unrest in the east could spread to other parts of the mainly Russian-speaking region.

Most residents are loyal to Ukraine but violent separatist demonstrations have occasionally flared in the past year.